


Oh, Damn.

by childishillusions



Category: Bleach
Genre: AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-28
Updated: 2013-05-28
Packaged: 2017-12-13 05:54:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 13,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/820768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/childishillusions/pseuds/childishillusions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Massively AU. Aizen is Soul King, and Always has been. He wished to test his military and to find a lover. He was disappointed by Soul Society, but found a 'bride'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_“Your cruel device_

_your blood, like ice_

_one look could kill_

_my pain, your thrill!”_

He was a fool. An utter, complete, horrendous moron. What on earth could have possessed him to fall for Aizen. Aizen of all people! His captor, creator, and darkest rival. The other had beaten him in the fight after Aizen had revealed what Ichigo truly was. The bastard hadn’t been lying, as he had watched in horror as his father, Yoruichi and Hat-and-Clogs had all been cut down ruthlessly by the brown haired man. The shock of seeing his father in the uniform of the shinigami, in addition, he had a captain’s haori (though it was folded in such a manner so he couldn’t see which division he’d once commanded) had slowed the orangette’s reactions down enough to find himself suddenly hoisted in the air over the brunette’s shoulder. Five shinigami Ichigo had never met before appeared and bowed to him asking “Have you chosen your bride, Soul King-sama?” that was the last shock Ichigo could handle. A quiet sob of utter incomprehension mixed with the utter desperation and desolation of someone who’s world had been utterly shattered before his eyes. Aizen responded with an affirmation, and lightly squeezed the substitute’s rump. That caused the teen to faint in utter terror. As he fell into unconsciousness, Aizen ordered the “Zero Squad” to heal all damaged shinigami, bring them to Soul Society and reveal his true Identity, as well as why he had done this to them. 

 

_“I wanna love you but I better not touch_

_I wanna hold you but my senses tell me to stop_

_I wanna kiss you but I want it too much_

_I wanna taste you, but your lips are venomous poison_

_you’re poison running through my veins_

_you’re poison, I don’t wanna break these chains”_

 

That had happened months ago. The royal dimension had people, but none of them would talk to them, as he was the Queen of Soul Society. When he timidly asked if he could see his family, or friends, his **_husband_** had told him only when they were truly husband and wife (he so graciously explained, whispering sinful promises as well as when Ichigo fell irrevocably in love with him) would the both of them visit Soul Society, as well as the world of the living once more. The only thing that kept Ichigo from trying to violently resist Aizen’s (slowly) successful attempt at seducing him was the fact that Aizen could literally do anything to any or all of his loved ones and get away with it, solely on the fact that he was the Soul King. Which led him to this… was he slowly descending into madness? No… No he wasn’t as his inner hollow would have taken over…

 

_“Your mouth, so hot_

_your web, I’m caught_

_your skin, so wet_

_black lace on sweat”_

 

Kami help him, Ichigo had had vivid dreams about what the other would do to him when he did finally surrender himself to the other. Insinuations, as well as “informational books” left by the zero squad on various… Positions, as well as how certain types of encounters should be handled (and he’d been forced to read it, or Aizen would “teach” him what the other had said. When the berry had resisted once, the older male had tucked the other into his lap, pulled the book and read the erotic content in that dark chocolate voice that rubbed along his nerves as if it were velvet. The way he spoke, reading what it said, it had caused **_weeks_** wet dreams and soiled sheets that he hurriedly cleaned by himself so that no one would notice. He hoped that was the case at least). One particular dream involved a pair of black lace panties that he’d been wearing (and nothing else) as his captor, his king touched and kissed each part of him.

 

_“I hear you calling and it’s needles and pins_

_I wanna hurt you just to hear you screaming my name_

_Don’t wanna touch you but your under my skin_

_I wanna kiss you but your lips are venomous poison_

_Running deep inside my veins,_

_Poison burning deep inside my veins_

_one look, could kill_

_my pain, your thrill”_

 

 At times Ichigo wanted to use Zangetsu (he’d been allowed to keep the old man, in addition to all of his powers. That had been an unexpected, but welcome surprise) to stab the brown haired man in as many places as he could reach, despite what the other’s voice could do to Ichigo if the teen wasn’t expecting the other to speak. How did the other manage to capture his attention so?

 

 But the bastard was somehow worming his way deep inside Ichigo’s heart. It’s not as if he’d suddenly changed into a mushy, kind, good hearted romantic. No, he was still the cold, calculating, arrogant, **_gorgeous_** asshole that the berry had always encountered. The man never seemed to get angry either (not that Ichigo had tried to push him that far… He wanted to keep his family and friends whole… But more and more, the berry desired for the other to genuinely like or care for him. Something other than a successful experiment of some kind). Ichigo had seen brief flashes in the older male’s eyes when he interacted with someone more than once, or for more than about ten minutes. It was one full of sinister intent, and… Jealousy? but Ichigo spoke to Aizen the most, of everyone in that damn place. That look, stopped his heart for a moment. And the other’s lips looked so tempting to taste at times…

_“I wanna love you but I better not touch_

_I wanna hold you but my senses tell me to stop_

_I wanna kiss you but I want it too much_

_I wanna taste you, but your lips are venomous poison_

_you’re poison running through my veins_

_you’re poison, I don’t wanna break these chains”_

 There were other looks from his-the king of Soul Society that he saw out of the corner of his eyes, that Ichigo was unsure that he was meant to see. When the teen moved in a certain way, the other’s much darker brown eyes would deepen further in color. If the teen dropped something on the floor and bent down to pick it up, he might get a slight inhale of air from the other. Why, the teen had no idea. Increasingly he found it harder and harder to be even passive aggressive towards the asshole who had been no less than gentlemanly… Most of the time. And Ichigo never was one to abuse others (such as the timid servants that were employed to clean, and cook and to various other tasks for the Soul- Aizen) so he could not “rebel” by harming the other occupants of the royal dimension.

_“You’re poison!_

_I don’t wanna break these chains,_

_Posion!_

_I wanna love you but I better not touch_

_I wanna hold you but my senses tell me to stop_

_I wanna kiss you but I want it too much_

_I wanna taste you, but your lips are venomous poison_

_you’re poison running through my veins_

_you’re poison, I don’t wanna break these chains_

_Poison!”_

 Ichigo curled into a defensive ball of misery after he’d finished the song. Something had struck a chord in the teen, causing him to break out into song. Now all he felt was a terrible sense of vulnerability and utter loneliness… The realized that he was starting to fall for the other, and tears started to stream down his face. He couldn’t let anyone know this, especially Aizen, or he’d be torn apart. Made into whatever kind of puppet that the brown haired man was looking for, to flaunt and further break Soul Society under his control. The teen fell asleep in that position, a maid finding her queen in an odd place, tears glistening on his cheeks.

 

  
 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tell me if you find the lyrics annoying! I am thinking about possibly deleting them, to, as one of the other AO3 members suggested, in order to make things flow better. Odds have lyrics, evens do not.


	2. Chapter 2

How the hell was Ichigo going to tell Aizen that he had managed to fall in love with the bastard? After he had been woken up by a concerned maid, he’s smiled and waved her off before fleeing to a place where he thought that he was alone and unobserved. He had begun to sing in frustration. The brown haired Soul King had succeeded in seducing his heart. How the fuck was the berry going to cope with living here, living so close to him? 

And yet, the teen’s heart yearned for the other. He did fight with the other. Verbally only however, as Ichigo was still nervous of what would happen if they physically clashed again. The thought of the other brought tears of longing in his eyes… But why, why why? It was horrifically unfair. All that had happened between them before he’d come here was in the past, and could not be changed, no matter how much Ichigo could wish for it. He had to move on.

The yearned for the other to show him the fullness of the love that Aizen had been trying attain for him. From the sinful whispers in his ear, to the flashes of warmth had Ichgio was fairly certain he’d only dreamed had been in the older being eyes when they didn’t argue with one another for longer than five minutes. But how would he tell the other? How could he tell anyone?

But would the other believe him? Or would Aizen merely think that the berry was submitting to him in order to see his loved ones in the human world, as well as in Soul Society? Ichigo hadn’t given many clues, hadn’t known about these feelings he had until very recently. How was he going to do this? Was there a way he could show the other, that he honestly, and truly fell for the brunette?

Did Aizen love him? Or was it simply a game, to see if the brunette could break Ichigo? Either way, the leader of the spirit realm was dangerously close to succeeding. All that was needed was for Ichigo to go to his-the Soul King and confess his feelings for the older man. But where would Aizen be now? Ichigo only encountered the other when Aizen sought him out.

Ichigo was fairly certain that yes, he wanted Aizen. But more than just on a physical level, though the brunette was gorgeous. The man’s wicked intellect and many facets had caught the teen’s attention. as well as some deep, lingering pain or injury. Ichigo could never resist trying to help someone who was hurt, and Aizen was no exception.

While the teen paced around the empty room, several servants, as well as visiting dignitaries from the various spiritual groups had gathered above on the balconies that Ichigo hadn’t seen, listening to the young man’s haunting melody. None of them present could identify the beings voice, and with his hair covered, one of his most distinctive features was hidden as well. Aizen himself had been brought here half way through the song, though he too, could not identify the singer, having never heard his wife’s singing voice before. The being turned towards them, head down, so the male or female could not see his or her audience. A clap rang out, until suddenly everyone was clapping, startling the singer, and their head jerked up. The motion tugged down the hood that they were wearing to reveal a young man, of about fifteen or sixteen years old, with bright orange hair.

Ichigo stopped breathing as soon as he’d heard the first sharp sound. The audience he had acquired was mostly full of unfamiliar faces. Those he did recognize were not comforting to see as they’d heard his song when singing about his… His desire for Aizen. He hadn’t wanted anyone to hear tha- shit! The object of his affection and confliction was there, regarding him with a curious and calculating expression. The teen bolted from the room, and away from everyone, frantically trying to pull himself together, as his reishi was giving himself away in his distress.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this one is from Aizen's perspective.

After the orangette had fled from the room, almost everyone was talking to one another. It was questions about who the teen was, what he was and which leader did he serve. Another lively topic was who the teen loved so desperately, so deeply, yet when he had found that he was faced with an audience, one that likely contained his love interest, instead of telling them who he loved, the young male had fled as if something terrible were on his heels. All except for one powerful brunette, who calmly walked away from the crowd, using his weapon to be unseen, quietly stalking towards his wayward wife.

 

 

 

_“Stoplight Lock the door_

_don’t look back_

_Undress in the dark_

_and hide from you_

_all of you_

_You’ll never know the way your words have haunted me_

_I can’t believe you’d ask these things of me_

_You don’t know me now or ever”_

 

 The words flowed out of Aizen, in the lyrical way he had heard them, on a whim, in the world of the living. Ichigo was **_his._** And the brunette was going to be the one to find out who it was who had dared to take the heart of his strawberry protector. The younger was ever so stubborn, but would stop just short of truly infuriating him. But not for fear of turning Aizen against him, no. It was for the sake of his **_friends_** , as well as his family, that Ichigo did not openly rebel against him. The Soul King was well aware of this.

_“You belong to me_

_my snow white queen_

_there’s nowhere to run, so let’s just get it over_

_Soon I know you’ll see_

_you’re just like me_

_Don’t scream my love, ‘cause all I want is you_

_Wake up in a dream_

_frozen fear_

_I can’t scream_

_I can’t scream”_

 His beautiful wife had fluttered and struggled so hard against him, but why? There was nowhere in Soul Society, Hueco Mundo or the World of the Living that the other could hide from him. But Ichigo persisted in his defiance of loving, of caring for him. Even when Aizen had so generously offered that once the two of them were fully in love with one another, the other was hesitant to give him a chance. It wasn’t fair.

_“I can’t escape the twisted way you think of me_

_I can feel you in my dreams and I don’t sleep_

_I don’t sleep_

_You belong to me_

_my snow white queen_

_there’s nowhere to run, so let’s just get it over_

_Soon I know you’ll see_

_you’re just like me_

_Don’t scream my love, ‘cause all I want is you”_

 The other thought so poorly of him, which was frankly unfounded. Of course he mostly blamed all of the information he had been fed by Soul Society about what his plans for the boy’s home. But shouldn’t that have faded once the other had realized that Aizen had always been the Soul King, and this had been a test of his military’s defenses, as well as him searching for someone worthy to be by his side forever?

_“I can’t save your life_

_though nothing I bleed for is more tormenting_

_I’m losing my mind and you just stand there as my world divides_

_You belong to me_

_my snow white queen_

_there’s nowhere to run, so let’s just get it over_

_Soon I know you’ll see_

_you’re just like me_

_Don’t scream my love, ‘cause all I want is you”_

 He wasn’t going crazy at the prospect that the other wasn’t in love with him, that could be fixed with time, patience, and a carefully constructed courtship that he was already in the process of conducting with his little berry. What was frustrating and enraging him was the fact that his Ichigo had fallen for someone. It did not matter. He would deal with them accordingly and gain an irrevocable, monopolistic hold on his darling orangette’s heart. But first, he had to speak with his darling, and find out who it was that he’d fallen so foolishly for.

 

 

  
 


	4. Chapter 4

They had come from different places, and were different races. At first the small group had been bitterly warring with one another, until all of them realized that they were after the same objective. They didn’t want the peace talks to go forward, and wanted to kill at least one of the leaders of the spiritual races in order to create tensions that could only be satisfied by war. The shinigami were surprisingly vicious concerning their leader. The group of them had decided to meet here, where few people ever went in order to finalize their plans.

 Despite how well secured the place was, the group had a plan of attack as well as who was going to be targeted first “So, it is decided then? The Soul King will be taken down first.” A nod from everyone in the group, and they started checking on the supplies they needed in order to take the brunette down. One of them had figured out what the tall Soul Reaper’s favorite tea was, and had it subtly poisoned in a way that would not harm him, until an hour after he ate the other half of the catalyst  the ingredients in the cookies that went with the tea. Something white swished closer to them, but they ignored it. They would save each of their peoples from the madness of their monarchs.

 Suddenly the group sensed _something_ in the room with them. It crushed the air from their lungs and a white clad teenager appeared. He had tear streaks on his cheeks, and a terrifyingly furious expression on his face. The unofficial leader of the group tried to approach the teen, sensing his inner hurt and conflict (though what none of them could tell). When she tried to speak, the orangette moved. At his feet was the green whips that signified the Fullbring high speed technique. When attacked, the Quincy Blut Venne protected him. The weapon in his hand was a shinigami’s zanpakuto, and on his face was a red and white bone mask of a high level hollow.    

As the unknown teen took each and everyone of them down in a matter of seconds, the would be assassins’ targets, Juha Bach, Kugo Ginjo and Aizen Sousuke filed into the room, along with several captains and vice captains of the gotei 13, several of the Quincy leader’s most trusted lieutenants, as well as the group that Ginjo usually traveled with. A puzzled expression on all of their faces… Did no one recognize the… Orange haired whatever-the-fuck he was?

“Why did you attack us? We have no quarrel with you! And wh-wha are you?” One of them managed to stutter, before the teen’s icy golden-eyed stare froze their spines. The teen continued to attack them until they were capable of speaking, but little more. The teen then noticed their audience and tried to flit away, going towards the open, empty door on the other end of the room.

However the teen was stopped from leaving the room when the Soul King stopped the teen by appearing in front of the younger male. “Ichigo, why did you attack a few of our guests?” The brown haired male asked, voice soft but easily heard. 

“They… They were threatening someone I… I c-cared for and loved very much. They-they’re planning on trying to start a war between the spiritual races. Because they-they think that it’s in the best interests of each of their peoples that none of us get a-along.” the teen stuttered, very much upset by this, but also by what he had admitted. 

Aizen’s eyes narrowed fractionally. He had known about the assassins and was going to have the Zero Squad discover the plot at a politically advantageous moment, but this was more important. Ichigo had admitted to him, in public that he loved someone. Now was his chance to press for the identity of the other’s love interest “And who was it that they were threatening, that you cared for so much?”

His berry looked around, extremely uncomfortable, and looked everywhere he could but at Aizen for a few moments before swallowing and saying as he looked directly into the brunette’s eyes, tearing up as he whispered “You… I love you… Against my better judgement, but- I-I’ve managed to fall quite hard for you somehow.” And slumped into his chest, silently crying. His reishi spoke of someone who’s world had utterly collapsed around them, with no hope of rehabilitation or rescue. Aizen enfolded the other into a hug, screening him from the confused and prying eyes of many of the most influential of the spiritual world.

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

Ichigo softly sang as he started cooking his lunch. Yes there were servants to do this sort of thing, but the teen was uncomfortable about relying on other people for simple things like that, even though it garnered him odd looks from both the servants and the others who lived there. When they saw their Queen do such menial tasks as cooking, or cleaning his or a room that he found to be dirty. But it gave the orangette a bit of his old life, when he helped around his home in Karakura, doing chores. While Ichigo wasn’t the regular chef, he could cook fairly well, and had even taken a cooking class in hich school (ignoring the teasing that he’d gotten from Keigo).

_“I’d give anything to give me to you_  
 _can you forget the world you thought you knew_  
 _if you want me_  
 _come and find me_  
 _Nothing’s stopping you_  
 _So please release me”_  
   
The teen loved Aizen, he’d admitted that, to himself and later that day to the brown haired Soul King, in front of most of the influential beings of the spiritual world. the other leaders moved over to talk, to either himself or more likely to Aizen about the assasins, but his…His husband flash-stepped away from them all at his fastest (Ichigo guessed) pace. He’d been told to ‘Stay in this wing until I come get you.’ by the older male, in that knee shakingly deep baritone of his, before the other flitted off, presumably to continue speaking with the other leaders. The berry wondered what the other would do to him. He desperately hoped that Aizen would be kind (even though that was a highly unlikely possibility).  
   
 _“I’ll believe all your lies_  
 _just pretend you love me_  
 _close your eyes_  
 _I’ll be anything for you_  
  
 _Nothing left to make me feel anymore_  
 _there’s only you and every day I need more_  
 _if you want me_  
 _come and find me_  
 _I’ll do anything you say just tell me”_

Ichigo had very little regular contact with anyone but hsi husband since he’d been dragged to the Royal Dimension and married off by one of the Zero squad members. He had been allowed to wander anywhere he liked, within the Royal Dimension, but very few people would talk to him more than once. For the first few months it had baffled the orangette. He wasn’t overtly insulting, but after overhearing a whispered conversations between one of the people he had talked to a couple of times and one of Aizen’s palace servants (Ichigo could tell, as they were in the Arrancar’s style of dress) that the teenager that they’d just interacted with was their Queen and that His Highness was possessive of the other and disliked it when others tried to vie for ichigo’s attention. The strawberry protector was slowly starved of human contact, and had very little of his heart and soul (and increasingly bits of his sanity as well) left to give to the brown haired man. But did the other notice? What did Aizen want from Ichigo, that he couldn’t take by force?  
   
 _“I’ll believe all your lies_  
 _just pretend you love me_  
 _make believe_  
 _close your eyes_  
 _I’ll be anything for you_  
  
 _I’ll believe all your lies_  
 _just pretend you love me_  
 _make believe_  
 _close your eyes_  
 _I’ll be anything for you”_  
   
Aizen had said things, made breathtaking gestures, in order to woo the orange haired teenager. He’d also ensured that Ichigo got a thurough book-study ‘education’ of various ways for homosexual intercourse, as well as how sexual role plays should be set up and executed in order to ensure that all parties involved had fun (as well as how to stop it if one party got too involved or became too uncomfortable with the scenario). But as far as Ichigo could tell, from what he knew of the brown haired man, these words and gestures were lies, in order to accomplish… what? Ichigo had no idea, but after he’d been placed into this wing (which he’d explored and found the kitchen when he was hungry)… He had given up even pretending to fight the other, as his heart seized at the thought of the other getting hurt (as evidenced when he thuroughly beat up those would be assassins that Sousuke would have been easily able to deal with on his own), especially if it was by his own words or actions.  
   
 _“anything for you_  
  
 _I’ll become your earth and sky_  
 _Forever never die_  
 _I’ll be everything you need”_  
   
The teen was trembling as he continued to sing. Whatever it was that Aizen wanted from Ichigo, whatever he wanted to turn the orange haired protector into, Ichigo would allow. If only it meant that the other considered him to be useful, to be valuable more than simply a toy to try and break when he was bored. He wanted to be needed, to be helpful. And he would be as useful as he could to Aizen, if only the other told him what he wanted Ichigo to be,and the orangette would comly, to the best of his abilities.  
   
 _“I’ll believe all your lies_  
 _just pretend you love me_  
 _make believe_  
 _close your eyes_  
 _I’ll be anything for you_  
  
 _I’ll believe all your lies_  
 _just pretend you love me_  
 _make believe_  
 _close your eyes_  
 _I’ll be anything for you”_  
   
Ichigo had no clue if the other loved him, never having known if someone was in love with him or not. From what he remembered, Aizen did all of the things one would do in order to court someone for love but… He had no way to know if the gestures were true or not. If they weren’t cihgio prayed that he would continue to pretend to be in love with him, otherwise he knew that he would likely break into shards, as there was no one else he could lean on (albiet very reluctantly and with great wariness at first). A cook wandered in, to see his queen in the kitchen that he worked in, eating a sandwich, singing and crying quietly.


	6. Chapter 6

Toushiro and Rukia managed to slip off as the arguing intensified between the leaders. Both looked close enough to be children to not be noticed as they tried desperately to find the orangette they, as all of Soul Society did, thought had been killed, or at least injured so horribly as to be like dead. Instead they had found that their friend seemed to be whole, and relatively free to do as he liked, if the beating on the would-be assassins was any indication. but as soon as he had been faced with their…King, Ichigo had broken down into tears. Why?

 It had been an utter shock, when they had found that Aizen Sousuke, former fifth division captain and supposed traitor to Soul Society had been the Soul King all along and had done all of that, simply to test the capabilities of his military. Which he had found lacking, and had immediately started revising a great many things as to how the Gotei 13 ran and trained their recruits. There had also been the unsubstantiated rumor that their monarch had been looking for a partner worth of his love and… Attention. No one really believed that, having seen neither a wedding, nor said partner when the brunette decided to visit, each and every time a surprise visit with not a hint of forewarning. But a ring had been seen on the Brown haired leader’s left ring finger, and now, one that matched on their friend’s left ring finger. What was going on?

Their king ruled with a steel fist and dealt with them in a manner which brooked no way for them to try to get out from under him or his orders. Unfortunately everything he ordered them to do was for their benefit, even if it was sometimes almost a task which they could not complete, the deadlines Aizen demanded things to be done was at such a clip that no one could lag or slack off, lest terrible punishments befell that entire division. Aizen was a vicious task master and seemed hell-bent on getting them up to the strength and durability that suited their dark haired leader. What that was, and why no one had any idea. Then they entered talks with the Quincy and the Fullbringer, both human groups with a decent amount of power, but surely nothing threatening to the mighty Gotei 13?

But a taste of the Quincy, or Vandenrich as they liked to be called now, was utterly terrifying. If they and that particular group of humans got into a war, the results would be devastating. Whether or not they would be able to win without their King coming to save them was very sketchy. But none of that mattered. They had to find their friend Ichigo, who seemed physically fine, but emotionally felt deeply… Confused and hurt, very very hurt. Perhaps Ichigo could save them from their tyrannical king, if the two of them could only find the Strawberry protector.


	7. Chapter 7

  
The two shinigami weren’t the only members of Ichigo’s namaka searching for him after his sudden, startling and partly relieving but mostly worrying appearance and take-down of apparent killers. Sado, Orihime and Uryuu had managed to sneak away from the Fullbring and Vandenrich groups respectively on grounds of ‘needing the restroom’. They met up and quickly scanned the area, or rather Uryuu, the best tracker of the three of them searched and found the general location.

_“He feeds on fear_   
_He feeds on pain_   
_He rules again_   
_With growing hate_   
_He will guide_   
_Their faith again”_

Aizen ruled the shinigami, as well as the most powerful of the hollows. For how long this had been going on, the three human teens had no idea. But he had ruled part of the shinigami, as the captain of the fifth division. But why would the shinigami allow themselves to be ruled by the cruel, ruthless man? They appeared to be fully behind their Soul King, defend in and protecting him, and his honor. Even Kurosaki was doing it.

_“No light in the darkness_   
_Is too small to see_   
_There’s always a sparkle of hope_   
_If you just believe”_

The three of them had to believe that their friend could be redeemed from whatever brainwashing and/or torture that he had gone through in order to show such a public display of protection and loyalty towards the brunette. If only they could find their friend, they would be able to talk to their friend, to see if Ichigo and the other’s could do something to save their shinigami friends, if not the system as a whole.

_“He told the tale so many times_   
_About the dream not meant to be_   
_In a world of the free_   
_He plays with your mind”_

Aizen could twist anyone into believing anything he wanted to, given enough time and persistence on his part. He had almost managed to break Orihime into being an obedient little minion for him, healing the hogyouku, as well as his arrancar who had gotten injured fighting, either for him or against one another’s. The silver tongued Soul Reaper could weave a lie, or usually a web of lies around anyone so convincingly, so effortlessly one could find themselves obeying his will, knowingly or not, for a long time before they could realize what they were doing. He had done it before, as the captain of the fifth division for over a hundred years.

_“As faith for the future faded fast_   
_He grows strong with their displeasure_   
_It sets him free_   
_Deceiver of hearts_   
_Deceiver of fools_   
_He rules with fear_   
_Deceiver of hearts_   
_Deceiver of fools_   
_He rules again”_

Aizen had changed the organizational structure of the gotei 13 quite extensively. Whether or not that was a good thing, for their peoples and/or for the shinigami themselves, none of the three of them had any of idea. From what they could tell, he was pushing them, many far past their breaking points until they were shivering wrecks of what they once were. Those who were survived were much, much stronger than they had been before. But Aizen’s ability to make them stronger could simply be an illusion as he continued to work on… Something diabolical and evil. What none of them had an idea, and they would die a thousand times before Ichigo would get dragged into it once again.

_“He feeds on fear_   
_Poisons the truth_   
_To gain their faith_   
_To lead the way_   
_To a world of decay_   
_He rules your heart_   
_He will sell your soul to the grave”_

And hadn’t Ichigo confessed that he **_loved_** Aizen, as in romantically, by the way their dear friend’s reishi was fluctuating and shivering. How had the brown haired demon poisoned their friend’s mind? How much of it did Ichigo have left? Enough to be terribly upset that the other had managed to gain dominance over his heart. Aizen’s tactics could only lead to ruin, the three teens were convinced. No one who plotted against and lied to that many people for that long was going to be a good ruler. They were rotten to the core and would drag any person, any place that they ruled over down with them.

_“No hesitation he’ll make_   
_He belongs to the dark_   
_Please awake_   
_And see the truth_   
_He can only be_   
_If you believe what he tells you_   
_Remember who you are_   
_What you stand for_   
_And there will always be a way”_

They managed to find two of their, as well as Ichigo’s, shinigami friends, Rukia and Captain Hitsugaya. It had been a wonderful shock to find both of them alive, and many hugs and tears had been exchanged. It had been surprisingly to get them to complain and bitch about their ruler, and the human trio had found out, to their shock that Aizen had apparently always ruled them as Soul King, and had apparently gone incognito in order to test his military’s strength, skills and competency. He had found it lacking, which was why he had implemented all of the changes. The five of them were still scouring the palace for Ichigo, and Uryuu, Sado and Orihime had been horrified to hear of the rumor that Aizen had also been looking for, and found someone worthy of taking as his wife. All five of them prayed that Ichigo wasn’t that person.

_“In my heart there is a place_   
_In my heart there is a trace_   
_Of a small fire burning_   
_A sheltering ray shines through this night_   
_Although it’s small, it’s bright_   
_But darkness is lurking_   
_He will sell your soul to bitterness and cold_   
_Fear him”_

The five of them were determined. They would save Ichigo from Aizen. Uryuu had found out that Ichigo was at least part Quincy, and the five of them unaniomously decided that Ichigo was also a fullbringer, as he was both part human and part hollow. After finding and making sure that the orangette was not a mindless minion of the Soul King’s, Uryuu would approach his leader, Juha Bach at the same time that Orihime and Chad would talk to Ginjo Kugo (the Fullbring leader) about getting Ichigo out of the Royal Dimension and back to the world of the living, where he would have a little bit of freedom.

The brunette would and had sacrificed minions, powerful minions at that, in order to attain his goals… Or just because. Toushiro had heard from Komamura that the brunette had struck the killing blow on the hollowified Tousen, and the silver haired captain had seen the brown haired King strike down Hallibel for no reason what so ever. She had likely been about to win her fight, or at least stay in a stalemate with him in their Water versus Ice fight. Along with his skill set and power, Aizen was truly one to be feared.

_“Deceiver of hearts  
Deceiver of fools  
He rules with fear  
Deceiver of hearts  
Deceiver of fools                                                                                   _ _Shall he rule again?”_

The five of them were running flat out, but not using any high speed techniques that required spiritual energy, as it would give away their position, and each one of the five of them, while they hadn’t been specifically told not to go in any one particular place, it had been subtly but firmly impressed on them to stay with the group, or with the guide from the Royal Realm (someone who was likely born and bred to serve the Soul King and no one else. None of them would be convinced that Aizen would have it otherwise). A faint sobbing sound came from a room not far from where they were… Inside it they could sense Ichigo’s distraught reishi signature.

 

 

  
 


	8. Chapter 8

The person that five of Ichigo’s nakama had heard crying was the missing teen himself. They found themselves in a kitchen, with Ichigo, a nervous looking chef and what looked like a quarter of a sandwich in his hands, the rest likely eaten by the orangette. It had been five years since anyone of them or anyone else in Soul Society had seen the unusual spiritual being. Uryuu, Chado, Orihime, Rukia and Toushiro had been following the orders and regulations of each of the organizations that they were apart of (though the first three with great reluctance.) But who were their leaders, really? Ginjou Kugo was an enigma to the two Fullbringers, as well as Juha Bach being a similar enigma to the young Quincy. And Aizen… Aizen had apparently always been the Soul King, though none of the Soul Reapers in Soul Society, save for Ichimaru Gin, who had figured it out and confronted the brown haired monarch when he was young. They were faced with a teary eyed, and utterly shocked Ichigo Kurosaki. All that sprung to their minds were numerous apologies.

Like the obedient toy soldiers each of the five of them were, they obediently followed what they’d been ordered to do. though the Soul Reapers had Aizen and his terrifying calmness to keep them all in line. None of them had questioned what had happened to Ichigo. Even after they had found that not a single Soul Reaper, current member of the Gotei 13 or exiled captain class shinigami/Visored. Not a single one of them (and all of them had been forced to go back to Soul Society. Aizen had very politely asked them all to stay at their posts, or to take high positions in the military portion of Soul Society. All of them agreed. they had all assumed that Ichigo had died at Aizen’s hands in a final, cataclysmic battle, or taken down by the loyal and knowing Squad Zero.

For Uryuu and for Orihime and Sado, they had been released from Hueco Mundo and returned to their homes by Aizen. The three of them had been terrified of doing much more than hide in Uryuu’s father’s office for weeks. Then Ginjou had came for the two young fullbringer. Both Ishida would have argued against it, however the leader of the Vandenriech, Juha Bach had appeared a few minutes later and had ordered both Ishida to come with them after settling their affairs in Karakura Town. Several of Bach’s most pwoerful minions had carefully watched over the two Quincy until they left. Uryuu had managed to smuggle a small computer, and three cellphones in order to keep into contact with his Fullbringer friends. But who were those two really? They had no idea and no answers. And how much of the recent… _Training program_ of Aizen’s did they know of? If Any?

Were they really seeing Ichigo crying? And… Just what had happened to him to make the other break down into tears. It took quite a lot to get the other to get him this openly emotional unless it was anger. He had his abilities, and had learned new ones, if the incident earlier with the systematically beaten assassins (those idiots, did they have any idea what would happen to them now? How dangerous a position the Soul reapers had placed all of the rest of them in? Honestly, why did they think that anyone could resist the bastard? He was just too strong and too clever for them to take down). truly it would have been easiler if Ichigo had been killed, and was in Rukongai. Toushiro and Rukia would have to tell the other captains and vice captains to break off the search for him. As Ichigo had been taken by Aizen… For what they had no concrete idea. However the teen’s dress, so strikingly similar to the way that the Soul King was dressed, along with the white gold ring with a violet reishi gem set in the center were both indication of what the other may be being used for. But if so, why Ichigo?

The chef noticed the Quincy, two Fullbringer as well as two high level Soul Society shinigami, all five of which… _Recognized_ the beautiful, kind young queen of his people. They appeared, based off of the Kurosaki’s and Ichigo’s of the small group, knew him before he had gotten married with His HIghness. And were apparently very, very close to him…The humans in particular. But wasn’t Ichigo-sama raised in the World of the Living? The hurried words and frantic motions of the group, particularly by the Quincy and Fullbringers, in the way of one who has figured out a way to free a friend from a terrible curse or burden. But Ichigo-sama simply watched them with a shocked, glassy-eyed stare before starting to stutter in confusion, not understanding what they were saying very clearly. The five of them surged around the orangette, surrounding him on all sides, as the dark haired Quincy whispered something into his ears. The chef had already started a silent alarm, as this wing was closed to all but His Highness’ personal servants and his wife. Later their children too of course. He sent out the secondary alarm, as Ichigo-sama was getting a lot more distressed by the moment.

 

 

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

 

_“I’m searching for answers_

_‘Cause something is not right_

_I follow the signs_

_I’m close to the fire_

_I fear that soon you’ll reveal_

_Your dangerous mind”_

An alarm went off, startling them all. What could have happened now? The assassins had been questioned and they very truthfully told them everything about themselves, who they worked for and with why they had been wanting to kill some of them, as well as who they were trying to target, in fear of the terrible orange haired monster that had so soundly thrashed them. Sousuke ran off in a certain direction, and the other leaders, and their most trusted lieutenants raced after them, wondering just who was this brown haired spiritual being they had been in contact with. He wielded his authority over his people gently, yet they all snapped to attention, and ran off to do his bidding, no matter the time or what it was that he wanted them to do. How he got such absolute obedience was a mystery to them all, and the Vandenriech leaders, as well as the Fullbring ones. Sousuke seemed so friendly and kind…

 

_“It’s in your eyes, what’s on your mind_

_I fear your smile and the promise inside_

_It’s in your eyes, what’s on your mind_

_I fear your presence, I’m frozen inside, inside_

_I’m searching for answers_

_Not questioned before”_

But when the shinigami assassins had been brought forth… There had been a darkness in the Soul King’s eyes, one that they hadn’t seen before. And the way he had smiled when that unique young spiritual creature had professed his love for the older, they had no doubt that the orangette was as young as he looked, was… Rather disconcerting, especially as all of the shinigami who had heard the teen’s confession had seemed as if they had difficulties breathing after the admonishion… And why was the other racing away towards what seemed to be the source of the alarm so quickly? Shouldn’t Sousuke allow his own people to see what it was? What was so critical, so sensitive that the leader of over half of the spirit world himself take care of, and with such urgency? The shinigami assassins had been so petrified of Aizen, as if he were some sort of despotic dictator that wouldn’t hesitate to slowly torture them and their families to death. Who was Aizen Sousuke?

_“The curse of awareness_

_There’s no peace of mind  
As your true colors show _

_A dangerous sign_

_It’s in your eyes, what’s on your mind_

_I see the truth that you’ve buried inside_

_It’s in your eyes, what’s on your mind_

_There is no mercy, just anger I find, I find_

The silken way Sousuke spoke had never been anything but a work of lingual beauty… Until he had turned that voice, that tone with, perhaps, just the slightest bit of icy fury in his voice as he dealt with those assassins. The way all of the shingami, not just the rebellious assassins quietly trembled and quavered in fornt of their king… Juha and Ginjo were fairly certain that there was more, much much more to the dark haired leader of the shingami and arrancar than they had first assumed. there was a hint of something very dark, very dangerous in Sousuke’s eyes, buried for the purposes of negotiation and peace, but lurking under the surface, waiting and ready to be used when needed. And while they had decided to punish their people in the privacy of their own strong holds, the Soul King had no such reservations. He had their punishment and execution done within a few hours time, and very, very public.

_“I just have to know, while I still have time_

_Do I have to run or hide away from you?_

_It’s in your eyes, what’s on your mind_

_I see the truth that you’ve buried inside_

_It’s in your eyes, what’s on your mind_

_There is no mercy, just anger I find”_

Were they safe in Aizen’s palace? He had assured them that this was a meeting to ensure peace, to make sure that war did not break out between their various peoples, as they all wanted the same thing, to protect those who could not from hollows and other such dark, depraved monsters, while sending souls to the afterlife? and to work out how their disparate powers would be able to mesh together? But now… Now they were not so certain as to the motives and reasons behind why the seemingly gentle ruler of the afterlife wanted them here, in his palace in a separate ream from the other three dimensions that were commonly dealt with. Hell was another matter entirely. There was a… A fury in Aizen that none of them could really understand, nor could they remember when they first became aware of the other’s temper, and simmering emotions… Whatever they were, but Sousuke could be a much, much different person than the one he had led them so effortlessly to believe.. Should they quietly pack up their people and run from the brown haired King? Did they still have time to hide?

_“It’s in your eyes, what’s on your mind_

_I see the truth that you’ve buried inside_

_It’s in your eyes, what’s on your mind_

_There is no mercy, just anger I find, I find”_

The darkness that had appeared in Sousuke’s eyes when he beheld the traitorous shinigami assassins was again present when they all burst in on a kitchen in a wing of the palace that none of them had been in before. The orange haired, white, black and red clad teen surrounded by two young Shinigami, two young Fullbringer and a young Quincy. They were all talking at once, and seemed rather agitated as they were trying desperately for the spiritual beign to understand something, which was clearly either not getting across, or the young one wouldn’t consider for whatever reason. As soon as the quintet noticed them, the four who were likely not supposed to be where they were suppsoed to, arranged themselves around the very distressed orangette in a defensive stance, hands going to their weapons as the orangette stammered at them.

 


	10. Chapter 10

Ichigo’s heart beat at an abnormally fast rate. He knew exactly what his friends were saying, and what they wanted to try. What he was trying to stutter out to them (other than the fact that he was so grateful, so happy that Aizen hadn’t been lying on whether or not that they were alive and whole. He had no idea what was going on, except for what his… _Husband_ told him about what was going on in any of the realms. No one else would talk to him for more than a few minutes, and that about meaningless drivel.

Sousuke had appeared, several other people appearing in the doorway as well. He had no idea who anyone of the tall adults were, except for the Soul King, who stalked slowly towards the group, a polite question on his lips, but darkness in his eyes. Ichigo trembled a little as his friends answered that they were lost, and had found Ichigo, and merely wanted to talk to him, to get directions back to the main group. Sousuke turned slightly catching the Berry’s eyes, and he trembled.

Ichigo knew that he couldn’t leave Sousuke. Even if his friends could possibly convince their leaders to pry him away from Aizen’s side… And that Aizen would be cornered into leaving. He hurt so badly when the brunette was gone. No one would speak to him, no one would look at him. His only stable contact with humanity since he had been brought here… Apparently _five_ _years_ ago, had been trying to seduce him. And the older male had succeded in his endeavor .. Probably a couple of years ago, it was just Ichigo had no idea that his decreased struggling and the occasional kind surprise that he created for Sou meant that…

Ichigo wasn’t sure what he would do if he didn’t interact with Sousuke, at least several times in a fortnight at their longest bit of separation since he had been taken here… But then again, he wasn’t sure how time flowed in this place. The days all blurred together to the teen, and the only moments that seemed to hold any length were when he interacted with someone, usually his…Husband… there would be a hole in his heart, if he left the Royal dimension, as it would stay with Sousuke, as the man had taken that part of him… Perhaps more than the teen was aware of, as he had only recently figured out his feelings towards the arrogant, stubborn, and breathtakingly intelligent spiritual being he had been married off to.

Sousuke was… Was talking to… his friends, maybe? his deep, rich voice, that flowed over him. But the tone was one of masked irritation, dipped in a dark shadow of possessiveness. The teen didn’t really register much more of what the elder was saying than that… Anger was there to… A dark anger at the possible presumption of others taking what the Soul King viewed as his and… perhaps just a touch of fear that said thing would willingly let itself be taken away? Nononono… He had to check up on his little sister, speak to his other shinigami friends… If they were alive, if his husband allowed them to continue existing. But what was the monarch of Soul Society so fearful of losing? Ichigo couldn’t comprehend it for a bit.

“My heart is chained to you.” Ichigo whispered, as he floated towards the tall brown haired ruler, mildly confused as to why the other seemed to agitated about something. He had never been this way, as far as Ichigo had seen (though his face did not show his upset, not his voice very much. But Ichigo could read his husband, having learned somehow) the elder spiritual being. the phrase, a part of the song that was floating through the orangette’s mind for some bizarrely fitting way. The room stilled as they all registered what he had said.

Why…Why would such a man appeal to him? Ichigo wondered. the man had taken him from everyone and everything he had ever loved and cared for. Had arranged things so that he would be almost completely isolated from the denizens that lived here, due to the older man’s personality, and the berry’s status as Soul Queen… But as thoughts of softly nodding at his friends, of trying to sneakily get away from Sousuke were violently rejected by his aching heart. besides, it would likely not succeed and only sour relations between the races… Or they would end up with treaties and Sousuke could demand a bride, in order to cement the treaty, or other such bullshit, and his martyr complex would kick in and he would volunteer, as he was both part Quincy (apparently) along with whatever the hell Chad and Orihime were….

He couldn’t… He shouldn’t… He wouldn’t… Ichigo stumbled towards the man he had fallen in love with, latching onto Sousuke, trying to figure out what he was going to do.. What he should do… he was going to break… Aizen would shatter him… But the other was so agitated, so distressed and he couldn’t allow any of his loved ones to be upset if he could help it… Even if this loved one would likely shatter him for the love that was given freely to him by the teen. “I’m going to stay…. I’m not gonna leave, dearest husband of mine.”

 

 

 

  
 


	11. Chapter 11

Uryuu had agreed to be part of the contingent of Vandenriech who went to the Royal Dimension to talk to the Soul King. He had been handed over to the leader, Juha Bach, as he was ‘a lost young Quincy’ from what the Zero Division member had called him. The dark haired teen had been very stubborn at first, but had learned the techniques they offered him quickly and grew to wield an immense amount of strength. He had decided to go here, as there would be shinigami there, and hopefully he could find out what in the hell was going on, as well as where the flying fuck was his friend, Kurosaki. When introduced to the Soul King, he had just barely managed to keep a neutral mask on his face… What…How…

_“Your magic white rabbit_   
_Has left it’s writing on the wall_   
_We follow like Alice_   
_And just keep diving down the hole”_

 That wasn’t the only surprise that the teen had gotten. From the subtle questions he asked, apparently Aizen had always been the Soul King, though he had come back a few years ago with a pretty young queen, the latter of whom no one was allowed to approach without permission as their relationship was rather… Tentative from the arguing and general lack of public displays of affection on the young queen’s part. But of course, his leader, and the rest of them were taken in by Aizen’s charm and grace.

_“You can’t fix your broken promise_   
_Our ties have come undone_   
_I will not be used to be battered and abused_   
_It’s the reason why I choose to cut my losses_   
_Your lies fool no one_   
_Your magic white rabbit_   
_Your white room straight jacket”_

There wasn’t a snowball’s chance that he was ever going to trust Aizen. The man had ran roughshod over his and his nakama’s life since they were fifteen, and the brunette was likely to be the anyone to know for certain what had happened to the missing member of his group of (mostly) human friends. The shinigami were alive, but absolute hypnosis could probably do a lot of things, and besides, most of the shnigami’s fire and stubbornness was gone (likely beaten out of them until they were obedient and compliant. Even the captains, from the few he had talked to, had succumbed to Aizen’s will. Not that the bespectacled teen blamed them any. It was either that or a fate likely to be worse than death).

_“Your magic white rabbit_   
_Has left it’s writing on the wall_   
_We follow like Alice_   
_And just keep diving down the hole_   
_We’re falling and we’re losing control_   
_Your pulling us and dragging us down this dead end road_   
_We follow like Alice_   
_And just keep diving down the hole”_

Then a stunning male’s voice began to sing, the second week into the negotiations (Why was Aizen doing this? He alone could probably wipe most of both of them human races out without much of a thought. What was the point behind the talk?). It sang of a desperate love, one that the singer knew they shouldn’t feel, but had anyways. Why they were so desolate, yet so deeply in love, Uryuu hadn’t a clue. His love for Inoue, while firm and a solid crush at the very least didn’t inspire the despair and tension within him that this mysterious person’s hearts’ thief had.

_“You can’t offer your poison to me_   
_In your kingdom of filth_   
_White Rabbit_   
_Straight jacket”_

Of course it had been Ichigo, clad in white and red, an outfit that matched the Soul King’s in design and colors. While the tailored clothes fit him well, and the clothes even complimented him, Ishida could tell, like the bleached color of his clothes, Ichigo’s mind and soul were not as bright, not as whole as they once had been. But five years, stuck with Aizen and his most devoted and longest serving minions would do that to anyone who had fought against the brown haired monarch.

_“Your magic white rabbit_   
_Has left it’s writing on the wall_   
_We follow like Alice_   
_And just keep diving down the hole_   
_We’re falling and we’re losing control_   
_Your pulling us and dragging us down this dead end road_   
_We follow like Alice_   
_And just keep diving down the hole”_

and of course, he, Inoue, Sado and a couple of Ichigo’s closest shinigami friends (after the assassin business was being dealt with. Honestly did they have any idea that they would be able to even attempt to harm Aizen? It was like trying to destroy a mountain with a plastic spork). Only to find their orange haired friend shivering over a kitchen counter, eating the remains of something and almost to the point of tears. They tried to, for once, save their orange haired friend, as he, so many times, had saved them, without wanting anything but their continued friendship in return. His powers, and by extension his very being, was an amalgamation of every kind of spiritual being known. And therefore he could fall under the leadership of his, as well as Sado and Inoue’s leaders. But Ichigo didn’t seem to understand what they were saying, what they wanted to do.

_“I won’t be pushed aside_   
_I will be heard_   
_I will get what I want_   
_What I deserve”_

“I don’t care what you say, Hikifune-san. Ichigo is my friend, forced into being Aizen’s wife or not, and I demand to see him.” the Quincy growled coldly, attracting quite a bit of attention from those around him. The teenager didn’t care about the curious stares and whispers. “Do you really think that he would have willingly gone with someone who seemed to want to destroy his entire home town, in exchange for power, and only didn’t as it was a test of his military’s defenses? You clearly do not know him. Where. Is . Kurosaki. Ichigo?”

_“I won’t be pushed aside_   
_I will be heard_   
_I will get what I want_   
_What I deserve_

_We’re falling and we’re losing control  
Your pulling us and dragging us down this dead end road” _

Uryuu had been grabbed by the vandenriech’s second after that little tidbit of information, and sat down with his leader. The other’s dark eyes bore into him , as the leader of the vandenriech asked him about his past, his connection to the shinigami and the Fullbringers, as well as how in the flying hell did he know the queen of Soul Society? Oh and what was that little bit about the destruction of an entire town of innocent humans? Glaring stonily at another dark haired leader, Uryuu refused to speak until Juha Bach mentioned that, as the orangette was possibly part Quincy, if the other talked, he might be able to talk Aizen into letting the teen at least learn how to fully control his abilities by regular training sessions, in the world of the living. Reluctantly Uryuu spilled all he knew. The bits about Aizen having control over the strongest of the hollows a very fascinating fact, one of many that Uryuu had been withholding from them.

_“Your magic white rabbit_   
_Has left it’s writing on the wall_   
_We follow like Alice_   
_And just keep diving down the hole_   
_We’re falling and we’re losing control_   
_Your pulling us and dragging us down this dead end road_   
_We follow like Alice_   
_And just keep diving down the hole”_

Orihime and Sado had cornered the bald-headed, black-bearded guy and were demanding similar things of their friend, both all up in arms, and Orihime close to seeing just how effective she had become in using Tsubaki (who had thrown herself fully into training after being handed over to the fullbrigners. In both Offensive and defensive abilities. Sado had as well, and any reservations they had held for the elder spiritual humans had been pushed down, in favor of training to fight for the inevitable onslaught of Aizen, the espada, or whoever it was that had detained their orange haired friend). The release phrase for the growly fairy was on her lips, but Ginjou and Tsukishima dragged the away, apologizing profusely for the two hot-headed younglings’ odd responses. Questions were asked and reluctantly (but truthfully) explained as best as they knew it. Why did brown haired men seem to rule the spirit world?

_“Your magic white rabbit  
Has left it’s writing on the wall  
We follow like Alice  
And just keep diving down the hole  
Diving down the hole” _

But really, were they just going to make things worse? Who knew what ichigo had to do for Aizen, in order to keep them, and the shinigami alive. From what they managed to get out of him, and from his utter focus on Aizen as the brunette had stalked towards them, even admitting love for the older man (whether true, or simply something to show his continued… Subservience to the dark haired Soul King in order to make sure that the brunette didn’t slaughter the five of them in front of them, consequences be damned) while the tall male had seemed to be almost in a … Rage or something over their being near Ichigo.

 


	12. Chapter 12

Sousuke had finished the last few days of that day’s negotiations (which was little more than idle chatter, followed by a large, communal dinner) with Ichigo by his side. His beautiful queen, usually happy to talk to new people, even if he hid it behind a scowl and an irritated manner, simply hid his face in his neck, and tried not to cry as the dark haired Soul King spoke to people, and people spoke to him. When someone would try to engage the berry in conversation, the orangette would cling on tighter to the older male and start shivering… What had made the vivacious berry so timid? Sousuke resolved to hold and to quietly prod his love tonight until he talked.

Once they had left the meal, and had changed into bed clothes, glassy caramel brown eyes looked up at him, as he led the orangette into thier bed, instead of the futon that the younger usually slept in. Sousuke realized with a jolt that, for all of his gestures and motions, had never told the other that he loved him. Not once in five years. At first, it had been simply not to panic the poor berry, as he was trying to adjust to his new surroundings, as well as the information that he was the Soul King, and the two of them were married… Softly, the brunette told the other that he loved him, for how long, and how the other made him feel.

This prompted Ichigo to dissolve into silent, wracking sobs as he clung into the older male, burying his face in the other’s chest. This stunned Sousuke, particularly as the younger spiritual being had admitted to loving him several times earlier today, each time in public. So what had prompted the tears, and the way the other’s spiritual energy fluctuated and curled around and inside of the teen, in a manner that spoke of someone who had been barely brought back from the precipice of despair. A pair of much lighter brown eyes sought his, as the young spiritual being entwined both of his hands in the Soul King’s much larger pair. Tears continued to stream down the exotic colored teen’s face as he let himself be held by the brunette.

Sousuke continued to rock his wife back and forth, murmuring words of comfort and love, as he gently pried out the source of Ichigo’s despair. Part of it was the tenuous and unknown fates of his loved ones but another, greater part, was two facts that were coupled together. Ichigo hadn’t a clue what Aizen had in store for him, and that no one apart from the man he had been married to, would talk to him for very long. This confused the darker haired male. He hadn’t ordered them to do this to Ichigo, in fact (though he had been disgruntled to share the orangette’s attention at first) he knew that it was cruel and unhealthy for the teen to be isolated in such a fashion… If his people thought that this was helping things, they were sorely mistaken. Ichigo was at his core, a friendly young man who enjoyed contact with others. It was no surprise that he would be this distressed, as five years was still a long time for the younger male, and it would be an agonizing time for anyone, even if they didn’t like interacting with people very much.

Sousuke was gently carding a hand through his queen’s tangerine hair, as the other’s silent sobs died down, the longer he listened to the brunette’s truthful account of how he loved the other, and why he loved the other so very much. Ichigo (who had been on his lap for most of the evening) snuggled into the larger man, a soft, small smile appearing on his face. The Soul King’s spirits lifted when he saw that smile, happy that the other was calming down, that he was understanding that the love was mutual, and that part of what had attracted the Soul King to the younger was his fiery personality, and he had no wish to twist the berry into someone else. If he had wanted someone like that, he would have gone after another.

The darker haired male could tell that the other was still upset and not-quite happy yet, but Aizen was going to hold the younger, and talk with Ichigo for as long as it took for the other to be happy again, to not hurt anymore, at least not so poignantly, as the harm that had been done to his lovely queen would likely take months to fully undo. Time which Sousuke vowed to be there for the other as much as he possibly could, so that if the other fell into such a state, he would be able to catch and rectify the exotically colored young spiritual being’s thinking quickly.

“Th-hank you… S-sousuke.” Ichigo murmured, as the two of them settled into bed, as both of them had had an exhausting and draining day. A blush was on the orangette’s lips, as this was the first time in… ever that he had called his husband by the other’s first name. He had called Aizen by a lot of things (…many were not flattering, or if so, in a backhanded and stinging way).

“It is no trouble, Ichigo. I will hold you when you wish, comfort you when you need or want for it, and I will always love you.” the brunette murmured softly, gently brushing the other’s hair with the tips of his fingers as they fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: If there is a song that you'd like included in this series, message me! and I will be happy to put it in, along with any details that you'd like to see in it.


	13. Chapter 13

_"Round, like a circle in a spiral_   
_Like a wheel within a wheel._   
_Never ending or beginning,_   
_On an ever spinning wheel_   
_Like a snowball down a mountain_   
_Or a carnival balloon_   
_Like a carousel that's turning_   
_Running rings around the moon"_

 

What young Uryuu had told him, about Aizen, Soul Society and that curious young orange haired...Being that the brown haired Soul King had managed to capture. From what Uryuu had said, he was good friends with the other teen, and both were highly protective of the other, if neither would likely ever openly admit it. Aizen-san had likely had rather a large difficulty capturing the young man, given his skill sets, and large pool of reishi... But the quiet terror of the brunette that had been instilled in the young Quincy, had the Vandenriech leader pausing for a moment, and wondering if Aizen was much, much stronger than he portrayed himself to be.

  
_"Like a clock whose hands are sweeping_   
_Past the minutes on it's face_   
_And the world is like an apple_   
_Whirling silently in space_   
_Like the circles that you find_   
_In the windmills of your mind"_

 

It was fascinating, utterly fascinating to see Orhime and Sado to be so passionate about someone... And the very present and deep fear of Aizen, as well as what the magnanimous brunette had done to their friend... It was as if they were completely convinced that the Soul King would have cheerfully tortured, or would have had the orangette tortured until he had broken into a useful tool (which he obviously was.... The breathtaking and rather frightening ease at which he took down the large group of fairly powerful assassins... And how he seamlessly used the different aspects of his powers, from Quincy to Shinigami, along with a few passive Fullbring abilities...

  
_"Like a tunnel that you follow_   
_To a tunnel of it's own_   
_Down a hollow to a cavern_   
_Where the sun has never shone_   
_Like a door that keeps revolving_   
_In a half forgotten dream_   
_Or the ripples from a pebble_   
_Someone tosses in a stream."_

 

The almost desperate plea that Uryuu had asked of him... To at least get Kurosaki (as he had been so named by the darker haired teen) away from Aizen long enough to train him up in the abilities was both interesting and something to be undertaken very, very carefully. It was quite obvious to Juha Bach, that the brunette was... Possessive of Kurosaki in a manner that would be very difficult for them to be able to wrest the teen away from his side for that long... And why would they train up someone who could be a potential opponent? He was devastatingly powerful enough, and the last thing they needed was a being who knew all of their abilities (including their weaknesses) and could annihilate them for it.... Though it was unlikely that Aizen wanted them all to be destroyed, he did not trust Soul Reapers.

 

_"Like a clock whose hands are sweeping_   
_Past the minutes on it's face_   
_And the world is like an apple_   
_Whirling silently in space_   
_Like the circles that you find_   
_In the windmills of your mind"_

 

...Aizen-heika did not strike Ginjo as someone who would willingly let such a prize as the orange haired male go easily, even for such an innocuous thing as training.... He would likely insist, with a warm smile, that any teachers would stay here, in the palace so that the teen could be monitored, and as he was more soul reaper and soul reaper-hollow hybrid than anything else, shouldn't he, as the ruler of both be personally overseeing his training, as the teen represented all sides of the spiritual world, and should therefore be here, where he was the safest? But The Fullbring ruler could not dismiss how very distressed the orangette was... How easily he fell to pieces before Aizen... Just what had happened to that teen? Five years was a long time (he had been told that he had been missing for that amount of time. Precisely around the time that he had received both Orhime Inoue and Yasotora Sado... Given to him by a couple of Espada, as they had been named by both teens).

  
_"Keys that jingle in your pocket_   
_Words that jangle your head_   
_Why did summer go so quickly_   
_Was it something that I said_   
_Lovers walking along the shore,_   
_Leave their footprints in the sand_   
_Was the sound of distant drumming_   
_Just the fingers of your hand"_

 

It was getting late in the night, and Juha had yet to decide what he was going to do, in regards to young Uryuu's request... Perhaps he would test the waters about the teen, by enquiring about what sort of relationship that the brunette had with the mysterious and fragile teen... Depending on what the response was, as well as the level of frigid politeness that the other exuded when irked (how he had dealt with his traitorous shinigami had been frightening in it's swift, absolute and unyielding response. They were not quite so quick in resigning their wayward people to the gallows, as there may be a chance that they would be redeemed. Sousuke held no such ideas it seemed).

 

_"Pictures hanging in a hallway_   
_And a fragment of this song_   
_Half remembered names and faces_   
_But to whom do they belong_   
_When you knew that it was over_   
_Were you suddenly aware_   
_That the autumn leaves were turning_   
_To the color of her hair"_

 

It was fall in the world of the living.... And where they lived, though they were separated by many miles, both the Quincy, and the two Fullbringers had noticed that some of the leaves were a bright orange color... the same as their wayward friend. They had done everything they could, short of trying to break Ichigo out of the royal realm (a proposition that was risky at best, and chances of staying out of **_his_**   grasp for very long were close to nil. And even if they managed to evade Aizen and everyone else for the rest of their lives... Once they died, they would likely all go to Soul Society and... And then they would be Aizen's and would have no memory of all the shit that they pulled as memories of a person's human life faded over the years). Orihime and Sado were sleeping in the same room, as they always had (ignoring the whispers and outright comments that such actions brought. They were platonic friends and almost-siblings. Nothing romantic). Uryuu had snuck into their room, and the three of them took turns taking watch while the others slept, as they had during the invasion of Soul Society.

  
_"Like a circle in a spiral_   
_Like a wheel within a wheel_   
_Never ending or beginning,_   
_On an ever spinning wheel_   
_As the images unwind_   
_Like the circle that you find_   
_In the windmills of your mind"_

 

Rukia and Toushiro had been asked endless questions about where they had gone off to, what they had been doing, and why were they so despondent? Their ruler was getting everything he had wished for from the other two sides, with very little meaningful concessions on his part... What made them so pensive? Their ruler had been defended by that bright haired creature, likely one of his creations, so they had no reason to fear what the orange haired spiritual being was capable of as long as they behaved! ...And what with the horrified stares and bitter, upset scowls sent their way that made the others pause... Just what the lieutenant of the thirteenth division and the captain of the tenth division know that they weren't privy to?

 

_"Pictures hanging in a hallway_   
_And the fragment of this song_   
_Half remembered names and faces_   
_But to whom do they belong_   
_When you knew that it was over_   
_Were you suddenly aware_   
_That the autumn leaves were turning_   
_To the color of her hair"_

Ginjo had decided to go after the orange haired...Whatever he was. But in a careful manner, as he was certain that Aizen was not likely to take to the teen being taken from him well, unless it was done very carefully and in a way where he had no choice but to surrender the young being to him for training at least. He would have Tsukishima talk to the unusual being, and if necessary, use his unique gift to gain access to the teen's past, as well as be able to manipulate the teen into being more malleable to the Fullbringers, and their methods... If Tsukishima was fast enough to cut the orangette that was....

 

_"Like a circle in a spiral_   
_Like a wheel within a wheel_   
_Never ending or beginning,_   
_On an ever spinning wheel_   
_As the images unwind_   
_Like the circles that you find_   
_In the windmills of your mind"_

 

In the end, both leaders had decided on different routes to try and gain a temporary hold over the berry. Juha was more cautious in his approach, as he knew that the brown haired Soul King controlled the royal dimension, and could warp it in any way he saw fit... Ginjou was going to ask outright for the opportunity for the teen to be fully trained in his fullbring powers, while he sent his trusted lieutenant to see if he could talk the vulnerable teen into talking to him. He signaled to his guard that he wanted to talk to Tsukishima as soon as possible (even though it was about two in the morning) and that no one was to disturb them.

 

Ginjo wasn't surprised that Tsukishima had been anticipating such an order, and was already planning on how he would approach the younger being (if the teen could be spotted. They had been here for over a month, and the only time that the teen had been seen was yesterday. First singing oh-so-longingly about another, and then later as he thoroughly kicked ass).


End file.
